Self-service device for sewing thread packages

ABSTRACT

A self-service unit for dispensing sewing thread packages comprising a plurality of elongated compartments for housing the packages, each compartment having an open mouth in the front of the unit and extending rearwardly from said mouth, each compartment mouth being provided with upper and lower spring jaws to retain the packages within the compartment, and the upper and lower spring jaws being retractable and the compartments being of such dimensions that a box of packages may be inserted into each compartment through the mouth for filling purposes.

United States Patent 1191 Lahmann 1111 3,744,673 1451 July 10, 1973SELF-SERVICE DEVICE FOR SEWING THREAD PACKAGES lnventor: Jurgen Lahmann,Haus Orehta,

Germany Assignee: Guterma'nn, F1148; Company,

Gutach, Germany Filed: Sept. 14, 1971 Appl. 110.; 180,256

Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. 14, 1970 Germany P 20 45 322.9

ms. C1 221/92, 221/310, 312/72 1m.c1..; 114713402 Field of Search221/310, 309, 307,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1941 Alley. "312 45 1 1952Shae/1...... ..222/143x FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 210,667 4/1966Sweden 221/399 245,382 1/1926 Great Britain 312/45 181,218 12/1935Switzerland Primary Examiner-Robert B. Reeves Assistant Examiner-DavidA. Scherbel Attorney-Cushman, Darby 8L Cushman [5 7] ABSTRACT Aself-service unit for dispensing sewing thread packages comprising aplurality of elongated compartments for housing the packages, eachcompartment having an open mouth in the front of the unit and extendingrearwardly from said mouth, each compartment mouth being provided withupper and lower spring jaws to retain the packages within thecompartment, and the upper and lower spring jaws being retractable andthe compartments being of such dimensions that a box of packages may beinserted into each compartment through the mouth forfilling purposes.

7 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure 3 ,744,673 1 2 SELF-SERVICE DEVICE FOR SEWINGTHREAD a plurality of elongated compartments for housing the PACKAGESpackages, each compartment having an open mouth in This inventionrelates to a self-service unit for dispensing sewing thread packages inshops and other sales outlets.

Such units for dispensing sewing thread packages are known comprising amultiplicity of elongated compartments extending from a mouth at therear of the container to a mouth in the front of the container. Thecompartments are filled through the rear mouths with thread packages ofthe appropriate colour for each compartment and, due to the fact thatthe compartments slope downwardly towards the front, the thread packagesdisplay themselves in the front mouths to intending purchasers. Anobstruction is disposed at the front mouth of each compartment toprevent the pack ages falling out. The packages have to be lifted overor forced past such obstructions before they can be removed from thecontainers.

Two difficulties arose with such known form of dispensing units. In thefirst place, the means for feeding the packages into the compartmentsthrough the rear mouths is unsatisfactory. If the width of the mouthsand the compartments was substantially greater than the length of thepackages to be fed thereinto, the packages tend sometimes to twist asthey are travelling down the compartments so that they presentthemselves longitudinally towards the front mouth rather than laterally.It is because of this that such mouths and compartments have been madeto close tolerances so that the width is only a fraction greater thanthe length of the packages. This however has lead to packages becomingjammed in the compartments, and special hooks have to be provided sothat the sales staff can loosen the i more severe cases of jamming.

Another difficulty has been that the obstructions provided at the frontmouths of the compartments have tended to obscure the front threadpackage from full view by the customer, and customers have accordinglysuccombed to the temptation of pulling the front package out to matchthe colour and, if the colour turns out to be the wrong one, they tendto replace the packages in the wrong compartments. It has moreover beendifficult to replace the packages anyway with the known forms ofobstructions. It is the object of the present invention to provide a newdesign of dispensing unit, of this type which will enable the salesstaff to feed the packages into the compartments with much greaterfacility, precision and speed. The invention achieves this object bydesigning the unit in such a way that the packages'can be readily fed infrom the front, utilising the box of packages, in which form they aresupplied to the shops, as a magazine for such front feeding. A furtheradvantage of front feeding is of course that the units may then beplaced with their backs against a wall, while the old units have toallow access from the rear for the purpose of feeding the packages intothe rear mouths of the compartments.

In the preferred form of the invention, the obstructions provided at thefront mouths of the compartments are designed so that the front packageis displayed to the full view of the customer, who can then readilymatch it without withdrawal.

According to the present invention, a self-service unit for dispensingsewing thread packages comprises the front of the unit and extendingrearwardly from said mouth, each compartment mouth being provided withupper and lower spring jaws to retain the packages within thecompartment, and the upper and lower spring jaws being readilyretractable and the compartments being of such dimensions that a box ofpackages may be inserted into each compartment through the mouth forfilling purposes.

In the preferred form of the invention, the compartments are arranged inat least one vertical row, and adjacent compartments in the row aredivied from each other by a partition. Each partition will then form apart of the mouths of the adjacent compartments which it divides. Eachsuch partition can be provided with spring means which are so shaped asto form the lower spring jaw of the mouth above and the upper spring jawof the mouth below.

These spring means suitably comprise at least one spring finger havingan upwardly inclined extension to form the lower jaw and a downwardlyinclined extension to form the upper jaw, the two extensions thusnormally having a substantial L-shape. The upwardly inclined extensionis suitably concave so as to form a suitable abutment against which thefront package in the compartment will rest.

In the preferred form of the invention, each spring jaw comprises twospring fingers, so that the package can clearly be viewed between them.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing which shows aperspective view of a suitable unit in accordance with the invention.

In the drawing, the unit has an outer frame 1 which is suitablycompletely closed at the rear where it can abut against a wall. Thefront of the unit is generally open and shows a plurality ofcompartments 2 having open months 3. The compartments 2 are divided bypartitions 4.

Each partition 4, and the upper face 5 of the unit, is

provided at the front end with two spring fingers 6.

Each finger 6 has a concave upwardly inclined extension 7 and adownwardly inclined extension 8. Spools 9 are shown housed in eachcompartment 2 and are prevented from falling out of the mouths 3 bybeing gripped on their upper side by the extensions 8 and on the lowerside by the extensions 7 of the spring fingers 6.

The unit 1 is shaped in side elevation in the form of a trapeze so thatwhen the back face is againsta vertical surface such as a wall, thecompartments are disposed at a sharp downward angle.

The drawing also shows the feeding of spools 9 into one of thecompartments in a box 10 whichconstitutes a magazine. For this purposethe feeding method is to remove one end face of thebox l0, depress thelower spring fingers and insert the end of the box allthe way into thecompartment, the latter being of such dimensions as to permit this. Theupper spring fingers are then depressed so as to hold the spools in thecompartment while the box is withdrawn. This is asimple and foolproofmethod of feeding which avoids any possibility of jamming.

The lower portion of the unit 1 is designed in such a way that it canfit onto another and similarunit so that an assembly of units can becreated. For this purpose, the sides and rear of the unit are providedwith extension pieces 11 which are adapted to clip over the top face 5of a similar unit.

It will be seen that the spools 9 are fully visible to the customer, butcan be readily removed by a slight pull which will open up the opposingspring fingers. These spring fingers are anchored at a certain distancewithin the compartment so that they are readily retractable.

What we claim is:

l. A self-service unit for dispensing sewing thread packages comprisingat least one vertical row of elongated compartments for housing thepackages, each compartment having an open mouth in the front of the unitand extending rearwardly from said mouth, each jaws being readilyretractable and the compartments being of such dimensions that a box ofpackages may be inserted into each compartment through the mouth forfilling purposes.

2. A self-service unit as claimed in claim I wherein the spring meanscomprises at least one springv finger having an upwardly inclinedextension to form a lower jaw and a downwardly inclined extension toform an upper jaw.

3. A self-service unit as claimed in claim 2 wherein the upwardlyinclined extension is concave.

4. A self-service unit as claimed in claim 1 adapted to fit togetherwith other and similar unit or units to form a unit assembly.

S. A self-service unit as claimed in claim 4 wherein the base of theunit has two side extension pieces adapted to clip to the top of anotherand similar unit.

6. A self-service unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the compartmentsare closed at the rear end.

7. A self-service unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein adjacentcompartments are separated by partitions, each of which partitionsextends in its plane further forwardly than the partition above it. I!III =1

1. A self-service unit for dispensing sewing thread packages comprisingat least one vertical row of elongated compartments for housing thepackages, each compartment having an open mouth in the front of the unitand extending rearwardly from said mouth, each compartment mouth beingprovided with upper and lower spring jaws to retain the packages withinthe compartment, spring means being provided between adjacentcompartment mouths, each spring means so shaped as to form the lowerspring jaw of the immediate mouth above and the upper spring jaw of theimmediate mouth below, and the upper and lower spring jaws being readilyretractable and the compartments being of such dimensions that a box ofpackages may be inserted into each compartment through the mouth forfilling purposes.
 2. A self-service unit as claimed in claim 1 whereinthe spring means comprises at least one spring finger having an upwardlyinclined extension to form a lower jaw and a downwardly inclinedextension to form an upper jaw.
 3. A self-service unit as claimed inclaim 2 wherein the upwardly inclined extension is concave.
 4. Aself-service unit as claimed in claim 1 adapted to fit together withother and similar unit or units to form a unit assembly.
 5. Aself-service unit as claimed in claim 4 wherein the base of the unit hastwo side extension pieces adapted to clip to the top of another andsimilar unit.
 6. A self-service unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein thecompartments are closed at the rear end.
 7. A self-service unit asclaimed in claim 1, wherein adjacent compartments are separated bypartitions, each of which partitions extends in its plane furtherforwardly than the partition above it.